Strength
by LostSparrow
Summary: He was never supposed to get sick. (Zutara)


No one ever expected Zuko to get sick. He was the Firelord, he was supposed to be the strongest person in the Fire Nation. He was supposed to live for years, protecting his people and bringing peace back to the war stricken land. He was not supposed to die.

However, fate is often cruel and unkind.

So now he lies in his bed, his skin waxy, pale and hot. His long black hair is plastered across his forehead. A fever is raging through his body. He can barely breathe and his struggle is painful for anyone around. His wife, Azar, kneels beside his bed and quickly grabs his hand. Her golden eyes are rimmed with red from her tears.

"Hold on a little longer, Zuko. Please hold on for her. She's on her way here now. She can save you," Azar whispers. Another tear slips down her face and she leans forwards, resting her forehead on his shoulder. Zuko's hazy eyes are too out of focus and he chokes again.

The woman Azar is talking about is Katara of the Water Tribe. She's the person Zuko truly loves. Azar and Zuko were married for political reasons and they both deeply care for each other, but neither of them truly loved the other. Azar sometimes wonders why they couldn't simply just love each other... They even had two children and another on the way.

"My Lady, the Water Tribe healer is here." A guard says quietly from the doorway. Azar finally sits up, quickly swiping away the rest of her tears.

"Send her in immediately," Azar tells the guard. She stands up and tries her best to regain her composition because she has to be strong, for her people, for the dying man on the bed and for her children who are crying in their nursery because they want their daddy.

* * *

Katara quickly makes her way through the gilded halls of the Fire Nation palace. Aang is still outside with Sokka, because she snapped at them that she needs her space to work on Zuko. Aang, her husband, has frowned but eventually agreed. Katara knew she owed her life to him, he was the one to defeat the Firelord after all. But she also felt it was her duty to marry him... Even though her heart belongs to the man she's now running to.

She flings open the door to the bedroom of the Firelord and nearly faints at the sight she finds. Zuko, her Zuko, is lying there struggling to breathe. He looks so ill and weak that she can feel the tears spring into her eyes. She runs to his side and drops to her knees.

"Oh Zuko," she cries softly.

The pale man stirs and for the first time in a few days, his eyes finally manage to focus. "Katara?" he chokes out. The water bender nods and forces a smile, leaning forwards and resting her hand on his face.

"Yes, it's me. I'm here for you now, okay? I'm here now." she says. Luckily no one else is in the room, most likely due to Azar's request. Katara bends some icy water out of the waterskin around her waist and runs it over Zuko's torso, trying to locate the problem. When she does, her heart breaks even more. She's seen this illness before when she was back home at the Southern Water Tribe. But she wasn't able to save the person who had it; they died painfully. They died when their face started to turn dark blue... And Katara can see that Zuko's is starting to turn that same color.

"No, no I will not lose you!" she screams and begins to do her feeble attempt at healing him. But then a fiery hot hand clasps on hers.

"You can't... Not this time..." he gasps out. His eyes shift in and out of focus and Katara begins sobbing.

"Please don't leave me," she sobs and drops on to his chest.

"Tell her I'm sorry..." he says. She looks up and tilts her head.

"Tell who?" she asks.

"Azar... Tell her I'm sorry that I wasn't the man she deserved. Tell her... I'm sorry for always loving you. I will always love you," he chokes out.

"I love you too," Katara cries. Zuko smiles and raises his hand to her cheek. But then his eyes roll into the back of his head and his entire body begins violently shaking. Then the shaking stops and he's limp. Katara shakes her head and quickly presses her fingers on his neck in a desperate attempt to find a pulse. But there is none there.

* * *

It's Katara's screaming that cause the guards and Azar to come running into the room. When they see their dead Firelord, the guards drop to their knees. Azar's hands flies to her mouth and tears stream down her face. She makes her way over to the now hysterical water bender. She rests her hand on Katara's shoulder and leans down so she can whisper in her ear.

"Compose yourself, sweetheart. Your husband is out there as well as many dignitaries. Don't show them weakness," Azar whispers. Katara nods and stands, quickly wiping away the tears on her cheeks. She knows she must leave the room so Zuko's corpse can be prepared for burial, but she can't help but gaze at him for the last time.

It was thirteen years ago when they met. Twelve when she realized he was not as cruel as she thought. Eleven when she realized she loved him. Ten when he was torn away from her. She never thought he would die before her. She never thought this strong man, a surivor, fighter and protector would die.

Azar tugs on her arm and Katara tears her eyes away from her love. They begin walking out of the door and Katara knows she will not be able to allow herself to cry anymore. She cannot be a child any longer. She has to be as strong as Zuko was.

* * *

Katara sits in the nursery with Sokka beside her. He has an arm around her shoulders. He's so tall now that his arm can wrap around her shoulders twice. His hair is longer and messier, even more so now. Dark bags are under his eyes. None of them have been able to sleep for the past fifteen hours, because there's been so much uproar since the Firelord has died prematurely. Aang is sitting on the floor with two Royal children, trying his best to distract them from the sadness that is ridden in the palace. They don't quite understand yet what has happened. They just wonder where daddy is.

The door to the nursery opens and Azar walks in. She looks worse than all of them. Her hair unkept, her pale skin is waxy and there's black shadows under her eyes. Her oldest daughter, Teja, runs towards her and throws herself into Azar's arms. Teja is beautiful with pale skin, ebony hair and golden eyes, a clear member of the royal family. Azur's two year old on, Ojas, waddles over to his mother and takes her robes in his hand. Whenever Katara looks at the little boy, she's painfully reminded of Zuko.

Azar gestures for the nursemaid to put the children to bed. Once they're gone, she turns to look at three grief stricken adults. She clears her throat before speaking.

"It's been decided that I will rule until Teja is of age, than she will be crowned Firelord." she says. Aang, Sokka and Katara nod. They're happy with this accommodation, because they know Azar will not lead the Firenation into war and she will teach Teja the right ways as well.

"Sokka and Aang, you can make your way to your chambers now. I know you're tired. Katara, I would like a word with you if you wouldn't mind." she says softly. The two men nod and leave while Katara hugs her arms across her chest. She hasn't told Azar what Zuko said on his deathbed, but she hasn't been able to bring herself to do it. Azar rests her hands on her stomach and it occurs to Katara that she's looking a little rounder than usual. Then realisation hits Katara like a rock wall.

"You're pregnant?!" Katara blurts out before she can stop it.

"Yes. No one knows yet, well besides my personal physician," Azar responds softly. She sinks into a cushion on the floor and puts her head in her hands. "What am I to do, Katara? Raise them by myself? I guess I'll have to." she says bitterly.

"I'm so sorry, Azar." Katara tells her.

Azar isn't looking at her when she speaks. "He always loved you. You should've seen the way he looked at you when you entered a room. I never had a chance, did I? But that's never really bothered me. I guess he and I were cursed when it came to love. The only thing that I truly regret is that Zuko won't see his children grow up. He won't see Teja learn Firebending. He won't see Ojas grow up. He won't see this little one at all." Azar bites her lip as more tears make thier way down her cheeks. Katara walks forwards and puts her arm of the distressed Fire Lady.

"He'll always be watching them, Azar. He'll always be watching them. And you," she says softly.

Azar snorts before turning to her, finally facing her. "He won't be watching me. He'll be watching them, but not me. It'll be you." she says. Katara's caught off guard and opens her mouth to argue, but Azar gestures for her to stop.

"I hope you can live happily, Katara. I truly do. I don't expect you to come back here for a long time, because it is painful. Just live happily, my dear." Azar says and then rises and walks out of the nursery.

Katara is left in the beautiful, soft room. She wraps her arms around her legs and curls up on the warm cushion.

"I miss you, Zuko." she says softly. She knows that his child, his little girl, will grow up and be just as much as a strong leader as he was. She knows she should go and join Aang, but before she leave she says one more thing. "I will love you forever, Zuko."


End file.
